Dovetail construction



Oct. 7, 1952 B. J. CRAIG 2,613,097

DOVETAIL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 30. 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Oct. 7, 1952B, J. CRAlG DOVETAIL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 50. 3.949

Patented Oct. 7, 1952 UNITED aolaoar` DOVETAILCONSTRUCTIQN- BurnieLoraig,` Los Anse1csCounty-,.Geli.f,J Application Apr-ileso, 1Mo-,serialNo. 90,5197

ti 'Ihisy invention, relates to` a `doveta-il construe on;M

The general object ofU ther invention isztosprovide anv improveddovetail` construction partit,-f ularly adapted fory use ongautornotivevehicles.` 1 l A further objectfof Vthe invention iswto pro.- videodovetail construction` including `novel means for mounting the,`dovetail` member.

Othery objects and the advantages; of;` the inf? ventionI will beapparent` from the following de.` scription taken in `connection withtheaccom-lI panying drawings,r wherein: y

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofthe latch housing; blank; Fig. 2 is a View of;`the latch housingin completed form;

. 3 is a sectiontaken on line 3`3,`2Eig. 2;

Fig.. 4 is a plan view of the blankfor the catch release arm support; V

Fig. 5 is a top view of the catch release arm support after the blankshownin` Fig. 4 is folded Alig..V 6 is` a frontA View of the catchrelease,`

arm support;

Fig. 7 is an, edge View of the catch release arm support;` v

` Eig. 8 `isa rear View of the catch release arm support;

Fig.` 9 is a bottom .viewpf theleatch` release armsupport;

Fig` 1o is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing the dovetal member inttedposition;

mail is, a sectional view with the front. portion removed, showing theboltstriking the catch and depressingthe latter;`

`V,Figglzis an extended `View shovvingthe` elements vof the dovetailmember; A

Fig. 13 is a side elevationof the i:'iovetail` meme ber inassembledform; Y l l Fic.` 1.4 isa bottom, View of the dovetailmem.-ber, andv I Fig. l5 is an isometric View showing therelease arm.

The subject matter described and claimed in this applicationwasdisclosed in my prior application Serial No. 533,958I filed May 3, 1944,nowPatent No. 2,450,372, grantediseptember 28, 19485 In the accompanyingdrawings the 4construe-- tion which includes the doveta-il is shown aserh--y bodied in a catch device -indicated generally at |68 (Fig. 11).As shown, the catch device includes a catch housingindicated generallyat |69, a catch casing, indicatedlgenerally 'at |10 and `which ispivoted to the catch support housing, andra support-which is indicatedgenerallyat |1|` and is arranged in the catch'SuDDOl? 4. claims.` (c1.asa-.maat

housing'andwhch serves,` to support aoatch ree lease arm The catchorprojection casing rI1!!` has a catch 2031` mounted thereon. The catch203 is engaged byfa -bolt` 3|! mounted` in a `vehicle door. lTheldetailed' construction. ofthe catch and bolt andrelated parts` form`no part; 01EA the present invention, .being` shown` and described in theapplicants Patent` No.` 2,450,372, granted September-.28; 1948.1

`The catch housing |69 (seeFigs. 1 andfZ) is preferablyv made from ablank which includesa rectangular body portion |112 having bent` up end`franges |13 and |1'3aV and havngpangedge hangend.` Thegbody'. |112`includes `an upperjaw portion |12a .which is spaced from a lower jawportion |1211, the. two jaw :portions being` rigidly connected inaunitary 'mannerfby a :vertical: porV tion` to provide a generallyC-shaped body. Qppositethe;-flangeI -|14uthe body |12 has upperandmloweruedge flanges |15 and |15@ whichrare separated, when the blankis bent to completed form.byfa taperrlgslot |16.`

Attheflower side ofgthe Slot |16 a flangev or guidinggpart |11 isbentupat right angles. to thejbodyrand this; ange `|11 is,l provided4vvitha rectangular slot |18 through which the` catch 203 .proiects.From the ange |11 a `second flangeqll extends and is bent at rightangles to the flange |11 as shown inFig. 3..L Opposite to thelange-IH ashortlange |19a` is` bent up perpendicular to tlfieobocly;- |12.

lThetbody at theinner end of' the slot` |16` is` shown as reinforced bya` strip of metal `|1912 Whichmay be spot welded in place. `This layerofmetal |181) as well as the portion of the body adjacent theretolisprovided with spaced upper andlower slots; 119e andi 19d into` which.ears. notfshown., onfthebolt Droiect when they are movedtocatchleleasing position. The meeting edges of the housing` flanges maybe` suitably secured together by welding if desired or the entirecatchsupport housing may. be made asa die casting or in any othersuitable manner.

Thesupport |1| for the catch release arm is made from a blank `2|0shownuin Fig. 4 as` ncluding a front` portion 2| l, and a rear portion2|2 and -an end 21,3..` The blank includes aligned apertures 214 and2|53While the front includes anotheraperture 2 |6 andthe backanotherzaperturclll. The front has punched outtoneues 2|18 andZ I9. Thebackfurtber includes a tongue 21|)` which has a Wing 22| on the endthereof.

The blank is bent into the formshown in Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive, with thetongues Mil-and 2|`9 extending perpendicular tol-the back.` The tongue220 has small end tongues 223 and 224 thereon which are arranged in theslots from which the tongues 2|8 and 2|9 are bent. The wing 22| is bentat substantially right angles to the tongue 22D.

The front is provided with an aperture 225 and with an elongated slot226, the latter extending from the upper edge of the front. The front iscut away as at 221 for a purpose to be presently described. The frontofthe support is provided with 'a` bolt receiving slot 228, the edges ofwhich converge towards a rear edge 230.

A dovetail wedge member is indicated at 23| (see Figs. 12 to 15). Thisdovetail may be made t as a die casting or otherwise although it isshown in the accompanying drawing as made from three blanks of sheetmaterial, 232, 233 and 234. The u blank 232 has a closed slot 234therein and has an open ended slot 235 spaced inwardly from the slot234'. The blank 233 lhas an open ended slot 236 which is -aligned with,andlarger than, the The blank 234 has a slot 234". The layers 232, 233`and 234 are superimposed and are secured together as by spot welding.

The dovetail includes a face 231, Fig.v 10, which engages the flange 220on the support Ill and has a face 238 whichis adapted to be engaged bythe bolt or abutment 30 `carried by a door when the latter moves intoclosed 'or engaged position. The tongues 2|8 and 2|9 on the support I'llt in the slot 235 and 234', respectively, on the dovetail and serve tohold the dovetail in assembled position and to guide-the dovetail in itssliding movement `parallel to the flange 220. To permit the slidingaction vthe slot 234 v'is longer than the tongue 2 I9 which fits in it.One side of they dovetail slidably engages the face of the portion 2|adjacent to the tongue 2 I9, while the other side of the dovetail isengaged by the portion of the body |12 which is adjacent to the flange|19a. y l

The slot 236 receives aspring239 which engages an upwardly directed endportion 24B 'on the tongue 2|8 and serves to normally urge the dovetailoutwardly to the position shown in Fig. 10,.A When the bolt 30 strikesthe dovetail (see Fig. 11') it slides the dovetail along the flange 223which latter slants outwardly and whenever any loose play occurs thespring 239 pushes the dove` tail back into tightly wedged engagementwith the bolt. The dovetail is limited in its forward movement by theflange tongue or stop portion 22| and in its rearward movement byengagement of the end of the slot 234 with the tongue 2|9.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A laminated dovetail comprising a series of superimposed layers ofsheet material,A each of said layers having parallel planar faces, anintermediate layer of the series having a portion between the edgesthereof removed to form an open ended slot with the open end disposedatone end of the dovetail, a second layer of the series engaging oneface of the intermediate layer and including a portion overlapping theopen ended slot to close one side of the latter, a third layer of theseries engaging the other face of the intermediate'layer and including aportion overlapping the open ended slot tovclose another side of thelatter, the second mentioned layer including an elongated slot closed atboth ends, the said intermediate layer including a portion overlappingthe last mentioned slot to close one side of the latter, the lastmentioned slot being open outwardly and adapted to slidably receive aguide member on a support, all of the layers of the dovetail at one edgehaving a continuous coplanar engaging face adapted to slidably engage asupport, all of the layers of the dovetail at the edge opposite to thesaid engaging face having a second continuous engaging face adapted toengage a door abutment, and means to hold all of the layers together.

2. A keeper structure adapted to be fastened to a vehicle forcooperative engagement with door abutment" means carried on a swingingdoor, comprising a unitary, generally C-shaped body having a front faceand having upper and lower opposed jaw portions which are integralcontinuations ofthe front face, said jaw portions vbeing spaced apartvertically to provide an opening closed at its inner side by a verticalportion of the keeperbody and including a part which is an integralcontinuation of the front face and is disposed substantiallyperpendicular to the front face Aand which rigidly connects the upperand lower spaced jaw portions, a, dovetail wedge, means including aportion on one of the jawrportions and having a surface slidably engagedby a face of the dovetail wedge for slidably mounting the dovetail'wedgefor movement on said one of the jaw portions, and spring means urgingthe dovetail wedge outwardly, the'other jaw portion of the keeper bodyhaving a surface disposed on a part thereof which is a continuation -ofthe front face of the body and is disposed perpendicular to the frontface of the body and from which a projection extends for cooperationwith the door abutment means, the door abutment means being movablebetween the other jaw portion and the dovetail wedge in wedging relationthereto, the upper and lower jaw surfaces being held by the keeper bodyin fixed vertically spaced relation.

3. A keeper structure adapted to be fastened to a vehicle forcooperative engagement with door abutment means carried on a swingingdoor. comprising a unitary, generally C-shaped body having a front faceand having upper and lower opposed jaw portions which are integralcontinuations of the front face, said jaw Vportions being spaced apartvertically to provide an opening closed at its inner side by a verticalportion of the keeper body and including a part which is an integralcontinuation of the front face and is disposed substantiallyvperpendicular to the front face and which rigidly connects the upper andlower spaced jaw portions, a dove-tail wedge, means including a portionon one of the jaw portions and having a surface slidably engaged by aface of the dovetail wedge for slidably mounting the dovetail wedge formovement on said one of the jaw portions, and spring means urging thedovetail wedge outwardly, the other jaw portion of the keeper bodyhaving a surface disposed on a part thereof which is a continuation ofthe front face ofthe body and is disposed perpendicular tothe front faceof the body and from which a projection extends for cooperation with thedoor abutment means, the door abutment means being movable between theother jaw portion and the dovetail wedge in wedging relation thereto,the upper and lower jaw surfaces being held by the keeper body, in fixedvertically spaced relation, the said jaw portion which -is opposite tothe dovetail wedge including a guiding part which is an integralcontinuation of the front face and which is sloped downwardlyandprojects in advance of the dove'- tail wedge so that the door abutmentmeans will jaw portions which are integral continuations of the frontface, said jaw portions being spaced apart vertically to provide anopening closed at its inner side by a vertical portion of the keeperbody and including a part which is an integral continuation of the frontface and is disposed substantially perpendicular to the front face andwhich rigidly connects the upper and lower spaced jaw portions, adovetail wedge, means including a portion on one of the jaw portionswhich has a surface slidably engaged by a face of the dovetail wedge forslidably mounting the dovetail wedge for movement on said one of the jawportions, and spring means urging the dovetail wedge outwardly. theother jaw portion of the keeper body having a surface disposed on a partthereof which is a continuation of the front face of the body and isdisposed perpendicular to the front face of the body and from which aprojection extends for cooperation with the door abutment means, thedoor abutment means being movable between the other law portion and thedovetail wedge in wedging relation thereto, the upper and lower jawsurfaces being held by the keeper body in fixed vertically spacedrelation, the said jaw portion which is opposite to the dovetail` wedgeincluding a guiding part which is an integral continuation of the frontface and which is sloped downwardly and projects in advance of thedovetail wedge so that the door abutment means will engage and slidealong such guiding part before the door abutment means engages thedovetail, the said one jaw portion at its outer end including a stopportion which is an integral continuation of the front face portion ofthe body and between which and the vertical portion of the keeper bodythe said dovetail Wedge is slidable.

BURNIE J. CRAIG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,829,916 Winans Nov.. 3, 19311,840,785 Moore et al Jan. 12, 1932 1,945,257 Cook Jan. 30, 19342,074,191 Roethel Mar.. 16, 1937 2,099,456 v Sweet NOV.. 16, 19372,137,271 Devereaux Nov. 22, 1938 2,310,548 Roethel Feb. 9, 19432,427,511 Roethel Sept. 16, 1947

